Parental Assessment of Status of Congenital Upper Limb Differences: Analysis of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument

Purpose To determine the range of the Pediatric Outcomes Collection Instrument (PODCI) scores for children with a wide variety of congenital upper limb differences and to examine the scoring effect of the patient's surgical history, family history, severity of involvement, and syndromic associations. Methods We reviewed the PODCI scores for 109 patients, aged 2-18 years, treated for nontraumatic upper extremity conditions. Charts were reviewed for sex, age, extent of limb involvement, laterality, family history, surgical history, and syndrome association. All patients were classified based on the Oberg, Manske, Tonkin classification with general categories of malformation, deformation, or dysplasia. Results Of 109 patients, 80 (73%) had a malformation, 12 (11%) had a deformation, and 17 (16%) had a dysplasia. The cohort as a whole had a happiness PODCI score that was similar to the normal population, yet a lower (worse) PODCI score for upper extremity and global function. Patients with a dysplasia had a higher upper extremity function scores than those with malformations or deformations, but they had similar happiness and global function scores. Complete upper limb involvement and lower extremity involvement statistically lowered the PODCI score within our study cohort, whereas a positive family history and syndromic association increased PODCI scores. Conclusions This study showed that there was a similar level of perceived happiness between children/adolescents with congenital upper extremity conditions compared with the normal pediatric population based on PODCI scores. In contrast, the perceived upper extremity and global function was significantly decreased in patients with congenital differences compared with normal individuals. This investigation also revealed that the extent of upper extremity involvement, lower extremity involvement, family history, and syndromic association may affect PODCI scores as independent variables and should be taken into consideration in studies of upper extremity congenital anomalies. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic IV.